The present invention relates to a child's toy. In particular, the present invention relates to a child's toy for producing visual and audible effects.
Various toys are known in the prior art for simulating the animation of a figure enclosed in a transparent ball. For example, a figure may be pivotally mounted on a pin connected at its extremities to the interior of a ball. By weighting the extremities of the figure, the figure will pivot about the axis of the pin when the ball is displaced so as to tilt the pin with respect to a horizontal plane.
Alternatively, a circular figure may be secured at its circumference to the interior of the ball along a plane bisecting the ball. Thus, the figure will not rotate independently of the ball. The figure may be weighted in which case the figure and ball are both self-righting. A bell may be connected to the figure to produce an audible sound when the figure and ball rotate.
A figure may also be positioned in an open cup-shaped base which receives the transparent bottom of a drinking vessel. The figure may be mounted on a supporting member which in turn is rotationally mounted directly on the bottom of the base. The supporting member may be weighted to enable it to rotate when the vessel and base are displaced.
In each of the above cases, the housing for the figure may not be water-tight, prohibiting use of the toy in a water environment such as a bathtub. Moreover, the visual effect provided in each instance is restricted to motion of the aforementioned figures. There are no other visual effects provided.
A principal advantage of the present invention is that a figure is rotationally displaced by the slighest touch of the child.
Another advantage of the present invention is that more than one visual effect is provided in response to the touch of the child.
A further advantage of the present invention is that an audible effect is produced simultaneously with the visual effect.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that it is substantially water-tight and can be used in a bathtub.